Influencer Confidential

Influencer Confidential

Welcome to Influencer Confidential, a podcast brought to you by Sidewalker Daily. In this podcast, we are dedicated to creating transparency in the Influencer Industry and showing what it takes to succeed in this new world. Sidewalker Daily is a consulting agency that works on both sides of the influencer industry. On one hand, Sidewalker Daily consults for brands and public relations firms on their influencer marketing initiatives and social media strategy and on the other, the company works with influencers and creators to help them build sustainable businesses online. Sidewalker Daily's unique position in the industry bridges the gap between brands and creators, to ensure every partnership is a win-win. Sidewalker has worked on campaigns for Jetsetter (A Tripadvisor Company), Four Seasons and the Costa Rica Tourism Board, to name a few. In this podcast, expect to learn about all things working with brands, being an influencer, influencer marketing, media kits, pitching to brands and much more! Meet Your Host, Nina Zadeh - Co-founder, Nina received her MBA in marketing from Fordham University and has a B.A. in Communications and Economics from Boston College.

Episodes

October 29, 2026 • 11 mins
Wondering how to get brand deals WITHOUT waiting around for brands to DM you on Instagram? If you're a Content Creator or Influencer trying to find paid brand deals, you might be surprised to learn just how many brand partnership opportunities exist outside of social media!
In this episode, I'm sharing how to find brands to work with, where to look for paid sponsorship opportunities, and how to discover brand deals directly thro...
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Ever wonder what REALLY happens after you pitch a brand?

As someone who has spent years on the brand side managing influencer marketing budgets, reviewing Creator pitches, and hiring Influencers for paid brand partnerships, I know exactly what goes into deciding which Creators get hired and which ones don't.

In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of the influencer marketing industry to share what brands, ma...
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Want to land more brand deals? One of the best ways to stand out to brands is to create the types of content they’re actually looking for.

As someone who has spent years on the brand side hiring Creators for everything from UGC campaigns to influencer partnerships, I know there are certain content styles that can immediately make a Creator stand out.

In this episode, I’m breaking down 14 types of content b...
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You Can Follow Kathleen Here:

Masterclass - How I Earn $10K+ Every Month by Creating Simple Video Content for Amazon : https://kathleenkobel.com/masterclass
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenkobel/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathleenkobel
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/663758048939978
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.eberhardt.kobel/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin....
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If you want to land holiday brand deals, your pitch needs to reach brands while they’re still planning their campaigns.

🎓 Learn how to land paid brand deals, no matter your follower count: https://sidewalkerdaily.com/brand-deals-training/

Holiday campaigns take time to plan, approve, create, and publish. If you’re only starting to pitch when the holiday rush is here, you may have missed the window. In thi...
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Travel UGC is different from creating content for a typical product brand. In this episode, Nina from Sidewalker Daily shares what travel brands actually need from UGC creators and how to make your pitch more valuable, even without a large following. You’ll learn how to research the ads hotels and tourism boards are already running, spot timely opportunities, build a travel-specific UGC portfolio, and pitch content ideas base...
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Most creators check the rate and deliverables before signing an influencer contract, but some of the most important terms are buried elsewhere. Using Hayden Panettiere’s experience with Neutrogena as a starting point, Nina from Sidewalker Daily breaks down four clauses creators should examine carefully: morality clauses, content usage rights, exclusivity, and one-sided terms. You’ll learn what questions to ask, how thes...
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Substack is becoming much more than a newsletter platform. In this episode, I’m sharing some of the new Substack features we’re most excited about at Sidewalker Daily, including native sponsorships, Creator Kits, subscriber perks, QR codes, and Substack Live. I’ll take you inside our dashboard to show you how these tools work, where to find them, and how creators can use them to make money on Substack while giving...
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Being a content creator or influencer means wearing ALL the hats. Creating content, pitching brands, answering emails, researching opportunities, posting across platforms... the list never ends.

But working hard doesn't mean you need to waste hours on tasks that could be batched, automated, or streamlined. In this episode, I'm sharing the time-saving strategies that I use at Sidewalker Daily, along with the productivity tips...
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August 27, 2026 • 10 mins
If you’re serious about making money as a content creator, stop blindly pitching brands and start looking for companies that are actively hiring creators and already have a budget.

In this episode, Nina from Sidewalker Daily breaks down real paid brand deals and UGC opportunities we found for The Paid Creator, including a paid pet creator campaign, a $10,000 Destination Ann Arbor tourism campaign, a Just Dance casting ...
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After 10+ years in the creator economy, working on both the brand side and with creators inside the Sidewalker Daily community, there are a few things I wish more content creators were willing to hear. Sometimes you're not actually stuck. You're avoiding the uncomfortable thing you already know you need to do.

Maybe you've taken all the courses but haven't implemented what you've learned. Maybe you're blaming the algorithm i...
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If you've been feeling stuck in your creator business, attending a live creator event might be the investment that changes everything. In this episode, Nina Zadeh from Sidewalker Daily shares why conferences, creator festivals, and networking events have become a key part of her business strategy. 

From meeting brands face-to-face and building lasting creator friendships to learning from industry leaders and creating fr...
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Create & Cultivate Festival is the world's largest festival for women in business, bringing together founders, executives, creators, and leaders shaping what's next.

Expect two days of inspiring speakers, meaningful networking, brand activations, and conversations that can help move your career forward.

✨ Get 20% OFF Student, General Admission, and VIP Tickets with code NINAZA20 (Golden Ticket not included).
🎫...
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If you're tired of constantly pitching brands and wondering how to get brands to reach out to you, this episode is for you. While pitching should always be part of your strategy, there are practical ways to increase your inbound opportunities so brands start finding you.

In this episode, Nina from Sidewalker Daily shares the exact profile, SEO, and content strategies that make creators more discoverable to brands, whether yo...
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If you've been wondering whether you need to join someone else's Instagram challenge to stay consistent, the answer is no. In this episode, Nina Zadeh from Sidewalker Daily shares exactly how to create your own Instagram Reels challenge so you can post consistently, increase your reach, improve your content strategy, and even create content that attracts future brand partnerships. You'll learn why a 15-day challenge can be more eff...
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You Can Follow Nina Clapperton Here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninaclapperton/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ninaclapperton Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ninaclapperton Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nina.clapperton/ SEO for Bloggers FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seofortravelbloggers/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sheknowsseo Website: https://sheknowsseo.co/

Signature Programs:
...
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Most creators think the only way to land brand deals is by constantly pitching.

While pitching is essential, there's another strategy that many creators overlook: making brands come to YOU.

In this episode, Nina from Sidewalker Daily shares practical strategies to increase your visibility, become more discoverable, and position yourself as the creator brands already want to hire.

From optimizing your content fo...
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Everyone asks the same question: "What's the best niche to make money with brand deals?" The answer probably isn't what you think.

In this episode, Nina shares the six types of creators consistently landing paid brand deals today. From results-driven creators and platform specialists to consistent pitchers and systems builders, you'll learn the habits and strategies that separate creators who consistently monetize from those...
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You Can Follow Ali Here:

Instagram: @aligrant https://www.instagram.com/aligrant/
TikTok: @aligrnt https://www.tiktok.com/@aligrnt
Website: http://thedigitaldept.com

In this episode of Influencer Confidential, I sit down with Ali Grant, a true OG in the creator space who has quite literally grown alongside the industry.
From the early days of blogging and gifting campaigns to now managing hundreds of creators...
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If you've been wondering why brand deals feel harder to land lately, you're not imagining it, but it's not because influencer marketing is dying. In this episode, Nina Zadeh from Sidewalker Daily breaks down how the creator economy has evolved, what brands are actually looking for today, and the biggest mistakes creators make when pitching themselves for sponsorship opportunities. You'll learn how to adapt your strategy, position y...
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